Electrical-switch mechanism.



M. J. WEBER.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH MECHANISM. I

APPLICATION FILED MAYIS, 1915.

1 03,287. Patent-ed Oct. 31, 1916.

gwzvmze UNITED; STATES PATENT onFIoE.

MATHEW J. WEBER, OF COLmUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO PUMP & (10., OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

ETaECTRIOAL-SWITGH MECHANISM.

To all whom it my concern Be it known that I, MATHEW J. WEBER, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident.

of Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical- Switch Mechanism; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enticularly to such as may be employed for automatically, controlling the operation of the actuating motor of a pump employed for storing water in a tank or reservo1r, one object of my present invention being to so construct the mechanism that it shall be positive, sure and accurate in its operation.

A further object is to provide simple and eflicient means. for insuring the retention against accidental movement of the switch arm or lever in the position to which it may be moved, and more particularly when it is in engagement with the stationary contact so that the circuit will not be interrupted until the switch is positively snapped open.

With these and other objects in view, the

inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims. V

In the accompanying drawings; Figure l is a view of a switch mechanism embodying my improvements showing the positions of the parts when the circuit of the switch is i closed, and Fig.2 is a view showing the switch closed.

1 represents a suitable frame, one wall of which may be cut away to receive a block or plate 2 of insulating material. The frame 1 also supports a casing 3 in which a piston in the form of a diaphragm is secured. A nipple 5 is. secured to and communicates with the casing 3 and. adapted for the reception of a pipe (not shown) to be connected with a tank or reservoir into which water is forced by means of a suitable pump, the latter being operated by means of electric motor (not shown). The purpose of my improved switch mechanism is to automatically control the operation of this pump in accordance with the.varying pressure of the water in said reservoir.

The casing 3 is provided with an interiorly Specification of Letters Patent.

threaded cylindrical extension 6 for the receptionof a threaded sleeve '7, and a spring 8 is located within the part 6 so as to be disposed between the inner end of the sleeve 7 PatentedOot. 31, 1916. Application filed May 15, 1915. Serial No. 28,432.- I

and the diaphragm 4. The head 9 of the sleeve 7 is perforated for the passage of a rod 10, the inner end of which is secured to the diaphragm 4:. Y

A post 11 projects from the frame 1 and on this post, a lever 12 is mounted, said lever being. made with a short arm 13 and a longer arm 14. An, L-shaped arm 15 is secured to the free end of the rod 10 andthe shorter member of this arm isrecessed to form a hook v16 which loosely engages the short contact 2 L supported by the insulating plate 2 and connected with a binding post 25. The spring contact arm is. secured to and eleotrically connected with a binding post 26 on the plate 2 and is so formed thatits free end will normally tend to spring away from the fixed contact 24 when the block 22 on lever 17 recedes, and this open the circuit in which the binding posts and switch contact devices are included, said circuit also including an electric motor (and a suitablesource of electrical supply) for operating a pump to force water into a tank.

An arm 27 is loosely mounted on the post 18 and from its free end a pin 28 projects and enters the slot 20 in the head of the balanced lever 17. The free end of the'arm 27 is connected, by means of aspring 29 with the free end of arm 14: of lever 12, so that when the latter is oscillated and its arm 14 moves beyond a line passing through said arm 14 and the pivotal support of arm 27,-

the latter wiil be operated to actuate the bal-. I

ancedlever 17 and open or close the switch. For the purposeot retaining the balanced lever 17 in position while the pin 28 is moving relativeiy to the lever -particulailyl when the spring switch member '23 is being pressed against the fixed contact 24,9, brake lever 30 is employed. This brake arm is pivoted to the frame 1 and is pressed into engagement with a lug or shoulder 31 on the head of lever 17 by the action of a coiled spring 32. One end of this spring may be secured to an arm of the brake lever and its other end passed through a tubular screw 33 passing a wall of the frame 1, said spring having a head 34 at its free end. It is apparent that by adjusting the screw 33, the tension of the spring and consequently the pressure of the brake lever against the lug or shoulder 31- may be regulated.

During the operation of the pump, by means of the electric motor as previously explained, the spring switch member 23 will be in electrical engagement with the fixed contact 2 1 to keep the circuit closed. During the filling of the tank by the operation of the pump, the pressure thereon will gradually increase and this pressure will cause movement of the diaphragm 4 to be transmitted through rod 10 and 15 to the L-shaped lever 12. The movement thus transmitted to the lever 12 will, through the connection 29 of its arm 14 with the arm 27, cause the latter to move and carry the pin gradually through the slot 20 in the head 19 of balanced lever 17. As the pin 28 moves through the slot 20 and until the arms 14 and 27 become disposed in alinement with each other with the pin 28 located centrally between the ends of the slot 20, pressure of the insulating block 22 against the free end of the spring member 23 would be so relieved that the latter would tend to vibrate and thus disturb the continuity oi the motor circuit. To prevent this and insure the maintenance of a perfect electrical contact between the switch members 23 and 24 until the predetermined pressure in the tank has been reached, isthe principal office of the brake device 30. When the predetermined pressure in the tank has been reached, the arm 14 pf lever 12 will be moved beyond alinement with the arm 27 and its pivotal support, and hence said arm 27 will be moved quickly through the medium of the action of spring 29 and the pin 28, engaging the end wall of the slot, will cause the balanced lever to be moved quickly and the switch snapped open. The opening of the switch will result in the stopping of the electric motor and of the pump. During the recession of pressure in the tank, the movements of the parts will be the reverse to those above described,the balanced leve'r carrying the insulating block 22 being retained in w thdrawn position by the action of the brake device 30 until the arm 14 of lever 12 passes alinement with the arm 27, when the switch will be snapped to closed position and the motor-will then be again started to operate the pump for replenishin the water in the tank.

aving fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a switch device, the combination with a contact member and a spring switch member coiiperable therewith and tending normally to spring away from said contact member, of a. pivoted lever cooperable with the spring switch member, to press the latter against the contact member, a pivoted arm having a lost-motion connection with said lever, means for operating said arm to operate the lever, and abrake device cooperable with said lever to hold it in position to which it may be moved.

2. In a switch device, the combination with a switch member and a contact device coiiperable therewith, of a pivotally supported balanced lever cooperable with said switch member, a pivoted arm, a lostmotion connection between said arm and balanced lever and operative to cause the lever to move the switch member into en-' gagement with the contact device, a spring pressed brake device engaging said balanced lever to hold the same in position when the switeh is closed and during the lost-motion movement of the pivoted armrelatively to the lever, and means for operatin said pivoted arm to operate the balance lever and effect the opening and closing of the switch.

.3. In a switch device, the combination with a switch member and a contact cooperable therewith, of a pivotally supported balanced lever coiiperable with said switch member, a pivoted arm having a lost-motion connection with said balanced lever, a pivoted lever, spring connecting said pivoted lever with the pivoted arm, means for operating said pivoted lever, a brake lever, a spring pressing said brake lever against the first-mentioned lever, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

4. In a switch device, the combination with a spring switch member and a contact device cooperable therewith, of a pivoted lever to cooperate with said spring contact member and having an elongated slot, a pivoted arm provided with a pin entering said slot, an L-shaped lever, a spring connecting one arm of said L-shaped lever with said pivoted arm, a fluid pressure device, and an arm connected with said fluid pressure device and with the other arm of said L-shaped lever.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATHEW J. wanna.

Witnesses:

THOMAS E. RUsTIN, Born B. HAnnox. 

